Air defense identification zone

An air defense identification zone (ADIZ) is a region of airspace in which a country tries to identify, locate, and control aircraft in the interest of national security.[1] It is declared unilaterally[2] and may extend beyond a country's territory to give the country more time to respond to possibly hostile aircraft.[3] The concept of an ADIZ is not defined in any international treaty and is not recognized by any international body.[3][4]

The first ADIZ was established by the United States on December 27, 1950, shortly after President Truman had proclaimed a national emergency during the Korean War.[5] About 20 countries and regions now have such zones, including Canada, India,[6] Japan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Finland, Norway, the United Kingdom, the People's Republic of China, South Korea, Taiwan, United States, Iceland, and Iran. As well, Russia and North Korea have unofficial zones.[1][3][7] Usually, such zones cover only undisputed territory, do not apply to foreign aircraft not intending to enter territorial airspace, and do not overlap.[4][8]

Air defense zones should not be confused with flight information regions (FIRs), which are used to manage air traffic.[1]

  1. ^ a b c Abeyratne, Ruwantissa (2011-09-13). "In search of theoretical justification for air defence identification zones" (PDF). Journal of Transportation Security. 5 (1). Springer Nature: 87–94. doi:10.1007/s12198-011-0083-2. ISSN 1938-7741. S2CID 153873530. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-07-09.
  2. ^ Ebbighausen, Rodion (4 October 2021). "China's Taiwan military incursions test the limits of airspace". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 2022-06-01.
  3. ^ a b c Page, Jeremy (Nov 27, 2013). "The A to Z on China's Air Defense Identification Zone". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
  4. ^ a b "Air Defense Identification Zone". GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
  5. ^ R. P. Anand, Origin and Development of the Law of the Sea (Martinus Nijhoff, 1983) p171
  6. ^ "Navy Closely Watching China Claims". New Indian Express. 7 December 2013. Archived from the original on December 9, 2013. Retrieved 7 December 2013.
  7. ^ Jane Perlez (27 November 2013), China Explains Handling of B-52 Flight as Tensions Escalate The New York Times
  8. ^ Rick Gladstone and Matthew L. Wald (27 November 2013), China's Move Puts Airspace in Spotlight The New York Times